Progress - my favorite shirts

I have three t-shirts, three pairs of pants that I really hope to fit into again someday without the dreaded muffin top and a pair of shorts. Well, I am happy to report that I can pull on one pair of the pants and the shorts AND get them zipped and buttoned. They aren't exactly comfortable though, but I am making progress!!!!! I still can't really get any of the t-shirts on or the other two pairs of pants though, but I'm getting closer!

I hung up the three t-shirts I hope to wear again. All three are WAY too small right now! And, yes, those are stuffed animals in the corner of my closet! :)

I will admit, I have been totally lazy in the working out department! However, I have been doing pretty well in eating and nutrition! I made it a goal to eat a minimum of two servings of fruit per day as fruit is something I often don't enjoy. By focusing on eating fruit daily, I've managed to eat far more fresh fruits AND vegetables daily and far LESS junk! WooHoo! I have a bit more energy (not a lot, to be honest, but a bit...), am sleeping slightly better, and I'm more comfortable in my clothes. I also have far fewer digestive issues recently.

I recently decided to make another big change in my routines and THROW AWAY my old fitness journals! I found it really discouraging to use journals that span many months. If I miss more than a few days of exercise, chances are I'm going to spread that out to a few weeks. It can be depressing to look back through the journal and see so many blank days. :(

Over the course of the week I've realized that if I had a shorter journal, say a journal that spans only one week at a time, I would be more likely to commit for that duration. So, I have created a one-week fitness journal and will be using it starting today! I can commit to a week, right???? YES, I CAN! The journal will be up in my Etsy shop later tonight.

A month or so ago I couldn't even button these shorts! They certainly aren't comfortable, but the fact that I can get them all the way up, zipped, and buttoned is HUGE progress and all from eating right!

Side view of the shorts.

Some of what I've been eating - not the soup though. The soup is for my son.

Check back soon for the fitness journal and please consider following my blog to keep up with my journey towards fitness, health, and well-being! The fitness journal will be available in my Etsy shop and includes sections for exercise, nutrition, and financial tracking. I included financial tracking as it seems as if physical fitness and finances are tied together for many of us. Weird but true!

Failed plans and then Krav Maga

I think we all start with the best of intentions, but many of us fail at our fitness and diet plans. We aren't as motivated as we thought. We don't have a support system. We have a goal but no actual plan. Or, our plan isn't specific enough....or it's too specific. Or, life just gets in the way.

I'll be honest, my plans were derailed out of a combination of laziness, lack of support, and not enough detail to my plan.

Although life gets in the way of many goals and plans really taking off, I have new motivation to get fit - motivation I'm not really going to get into detail about though - and tonight I am taking a first step. I'm going to a free trial class of Krav Maga!

Krav Maga is a type of hand-to-hand combat developed originally for the Israeli Defense Forces and makes use of the body's natural weight, center of gravity, and movement to provide defense against a threat. The school I will attend offers all kinds of related training and fitness development, and I'm so excited to try it out! Actually, I'm a good mix of super excited, really nervous, and a little bit terrified!

I weigh more than I've ever weighed in my life, and can't fit into ANY of my jeans no matter how hard I suck in my gut. (Original pictures HERE showing how poorly my clothes fit...so much worse now!)

I'm hoping that Krav Maga and the associated benefits and training offered by this school, including 90 day personalized goal setting and training programs, will help get me back in shape and teach me  how to efficiently defend myself against any threat. I'm so excited!!!

If you are not familiar with Krav Maga but have seen the television show "Alias" from 2001-2006, you have seen Krav Maga in action. Krav Maga is the fighting style used by the main character, Sydney Bristow (played by Jennifer Garner). Although I would love to be even a fraction as fit as she is (or was during the show), I'm mostly focused on the self-defense aspect and building up stamina as I get winded just going up a flight of stairs right now! Everything else - looking great and feeling great and being strong - are just fantastic side benefits.

"Alias" starring Jennifer Garner as Sydney Bristow

Hopefully the class will be great!

Jennifer Garner, super fit and strong

Jumping back on the fitness bandwagon

A lot has changed over the past few months, and unfortunately, I've gained a few pounds. I was already about 15 pounds over my ideal weight, but over the past few months, I've gained another 15 pounds. I'm 5' 8" tall and as of early January, weighed in at 175 pounds. That is my all time high. Even during pregnancy, 15 years ago, I didn't weigh that much.

Several years ago, I was running and exercising regularly. I had been training for a marathon when I injured my foot and had to stop running. For a while, I quit exercising at all, but during the recovery process I slowly began to get back to the gym and learned to alter my routine to accommodate my injury and recovery. It's now several years later and I've just been a bit overwhelmed so exercise and diet went to the wayside for a while.

I joined a gym this past fall, walked a 5k last spring with a friend, and intermittently ate better.

Healthy lunch example #1.

Healthy lunch and snacks example #2.

Then, I just stopped. I don't really know why.

Since the start of January, I've been eating a lot better and have lost a few pounds as a result, but I still don't feel well inside or out, and I don't look as well as I would like. My favorite clothes don't fit. My favorite sleeping position isn't comfortable right now. The seat belt in my car doesn't go across my body in a very comfortable position.

This week, I tried on some of my favorite clothes as well as a few things I wear regularly. I was brave and took a few photos as my "before" starting point. I know I'm not as overweight as a lot of people, but I am a lot heavier than I am comfortable with.

My favorite jeans. I haven't been able to wear them in about 8 months.

My everyday jeans. A bit tight.

The scrub pants I used to wear. Really tight.

The scrub pants I wear instead. Too big, but comfortable. The next size down was too small.

My plan is to drop a few pounds, be more comfortable in my clothes, have more energy, and to sleep better.